March 23
Events * 625 - Battle of Uhud takes place between Muslims and Pagans in Arabia *1174 - Jocelin, abbot of Melrose, is elected bishop of Glasgow *1568 - Peace of Longjumeau ends the Second War of Religion in France. Again Catherine de' Medici and Charles IX of France make substantial concessions to the Huguenots. *1708 - James Francis Edward Stuart lands at the Firth of Forth. *1775 - American Revolutionary War: Patrick Henry delivers his famous speech -"give me liberty or give me death" at St. John's Church in Richmond. *1801 - Tsar Paul I of Russia is struck with a sword, then strangled, and finally trampled to death in his bedroom at St. Michael's Castle. *1806 - After traveling through the Louisiana Purchase and reaching the Pacific Ocean, explorers Lewis and Clark and their "Corps of Discovery" begin their arduous journey home. *1821 - Battle and fall of city of Kalamata, Greek War of Independence. *1848 - The ship John Wickliffe arrives at Port Chalmers carrying the first Scottish settlers for Dunedin, New Zealand. Otago province is founded. *1857 - Elisha Otis's first elevator is installed at 488 Broadway New York City. *1868 - The University of California is founded in Oakland when the Organic Act is signed into law. *1889 - Land run: President Benjamin Harrison opens Oklahoma to white settlement starting on April 22. * 1889 - The free Woolwich Ferry officially opens in east London. * 1889 - The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was established by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in Qadian India. *1896 - The Raines Law is passed by the New York State Legislature, restricting Sunday sale of alcohol to hotels *1903 - The Wright Brothers apply for a patent on their invention of one of the first successful airplanes. *1908 - American diplomat Durham Stevens is attacked by Korean assassins Jeon Myeong-un and Jang In-hwan, leading to his death in hospital two days later *1909 - Theodore Roosevelt leaves New York for a post-presidency safari in Africa. The trip is sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution and National Geographic Society. *1919 - In Milan, Italy, Benito Mussolini founds his Fascist political movement. *1931 - Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev embrace the gallows during the Indian struggle for independence. Their request to be shot by a firing squad is refused. *1933 - The Reichstag passes the Enabling act of 1933, making Adolf Hitler dictator of Germany. *1935 - Signing of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. *1940 - The Lahore Resolution (Qarardad-e-Pakistan or the then Qarardad-e-Lahore) is put forward at the Annual General Convention of the All India Muslim League. *1942 - World War II: In the Indian Ocean, Japanese forces capture the Andaman Islands. *1956 - Pakistan becomes the first Islamic republic in the world. (Republic Day in Pakistan) *1962 - [[Wikipedia:NS Savannah|NS Savannah]], the first nuclear-powered cargo-passenger ship, was launched as a showcase for Dwight D. Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace initiative. *1965 - NASA launches Gemini 3, the United States' first two-man space flight (crew: Gus Grissom and John Young). *1978 - The first UNIFIL troops arrived in Lebanon for peacekeeping mission along the Blue Line. *1980 - Archbishop Óscar Romero of El Salvador gives his famous speech appealing to men of the El Salvadoran armed forces to stop killing the Salvadorans. *1982 - Guatemala's government, headed by Fernando Romeo Lucas García is overthrown in a military coup by right-wing General Efraín Ríos Montt. *1983 - Strategic Defense Initiative: President Ronald Reagan makes his initial proposal to develop technology to intercept enemy missiles. *1989 - Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann announce cold fusion at the University of Utah. *1992 - Education (Universities Funding Council) (Supplementary Functions) Order Sustained *1994 - Wayne Gretzky sets all-time NHL goal scoring record with 804. *1994 - At an election rally in Tijuana, Mexican presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio is assassinated by Mario Aburto Martínez. * 1994 - Aeroflot Flight 593 crashes in Siberia when the pilot's fifteen-year old son accidentally disengages the autopilot, killing 75. * 1994 - A United States Air Force (USAF) F-16 aircraft collides with a USAF C-130 at Pope Air Force Base and then crashes into a group of United States Army soldiers on the ground, killing 24 people in what is often called the Green Ramp Disaster. *1996 - Taiwan holds its first direct elections and chooses Lee Teng-hui as President. *1997 - The pilot episode of the successful Midsomer Murders series with John Nettles airs for the first time, attracting 13.5 million viewers *1999 - Gunmen assassinate Paraguay's Vice President Luis María Argaña. *2001 - The Russian Mir space station is disposed of, breaking up in the atmosphere before falling into the southern Pacific Ocean near Fiji. *2003 - In Nasiriyah, Iraq, 11 soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company as well as 18 U.S. Marines are killed during the first major conflict of Operation Iraqi Freedom. * 2003 - The Australian cricket team defeats India in the cricket World cup to win their second successive Cricket World Cup. *2004 - Andhra Pradesh Federation of Trade Unions holds its first conference in Hyderabad, India. *2005 - The United States 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, refuses to order the reinsertion of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. * 2005 - A major explosion at the Texas City Refinery kills 15 workers. *2006 - Federal Reserve discontinues publishing M3 money supply. *2007 - Burnley Tunnel catastrophe occurs in Melbourne Australia. * 2007 - Iranian Navy seize Royal Navy personnel in Iraqi waters. Births *1429 - Margaret of Anjou, wife of Henry VI of England (d. 1482) *1638 - Frederik Ruysch, Dutch physician and anatomist (d. 1731) *1645 - William Kidd, Pirate Legend From Scotland (d. 1701) *1699 - John Bartram, American botanist (d. 1777) *1723 - Agha Mohammad Khan Ghajar, King of Iran (d. 1771) *1732 - Marie Adélaïde of France, daughter of Louis XV (d. 1800) *1749 - Pierre Simon de Laplace, French mathematician and astronomer (d. 1827) *1754 - Baron Jurij Vega, Slovenian mathematician, physicist, and artillery officer (d. 1802) *1769 - William Smith, English geologist and cartographer (d. 1839) * 1769 - Augustin Daniel Belliard, French general (d. 1832) *1823 - Schuyler Colfax, Vice President of the United States (d. 1885) *1826 - Léon Minkus, German/Czech composer and violinist (d. 1917) *1831 - Eduard Schlagintweit, German writer (d. 1866) *1834 - Julius Reubke, German composer (d. 1858) *1858 - Ludwig Quidde, German pacifist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1941) *1868 - Dietrich Eckart, early supporter of Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party and member of Thule Society (d. 1923) *1878 - Franz Schreker, Austrian composer (d. 1934) *1880 - Heikki Ritavuori, Finnish politician (d. 1922) *1881 - Roger Martin du Gard, French writer, Nobel laureate (d. 1958) * 1881 - Hermann Staudinger, German chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1965) *1882 - Emmy Noether, German mathematician (d. 1935) *1887 - Juan Gris, Spanish artist (d. 1927) * 1887 - Josef Čapek, Czech writer (d. 1945) * 1887 - Prince Felix Yussupov, Russian assassin of Rasputin (d. 1967) *1893 - Cedric Gibbons, American art director (d. 1960) *1899 - Dora Gerson, German actress and singer (d. 1943) *1900 - Erich Fromm, German-born psychoanalyst (d. 1980) *1904 - H. Beam Piper, American science fiction author (d. 1964) *1905 - Lale Andersen, German singer and cabaretist (d. 1972) * 1905 - Joan Crawford, American actress (d. 1977) *1907 - Daniel Bovet, Swiss-born scientist, Nobel laureate (d. 1992) *1910 - Akira Kurosawa, Japanese film director (d. 1998) * 1912 - Wernher von Braun, German-born physicist and engineer (d. 1977) *1915 - Vasily Zaitsev, Soviet World War II hero (d. 1991) *1920 - Neal Smith, former United States Congressman *1921 - Donald Campbell, British car and motorboat racer (d. 1967) *1922 - Marty Allen, American comedian and actor * 1922 - Ugo Tognazzi, Italian actor, director and screenwriter (d. 1990) *1924 - Bette Nesmith Graham, American inventor (d. 1980) *1925 - David Watkin, English cinematographer *1929 - Sir Roger Bannister, English runner *1931 - Yevgenij Grishin, Russian speed skater (d. 2005) * 1931 - Viktor Korchnoi, Russian chess player *1932 - Don Marshall, Canadian ice hockey player *1933 - Philip Zimbardo, American psychologist, known for the Stanford prison experiment *1934 - Ludvig Faddeev, Russian mathematician * 1934 - Fernand Gignac, Canadian singer and actor (d. 2006) * 1934 - Mark Rydell, American film and television director *1937 - Craig Breedlove, American land speed record holder * 1937 - Robert Gallo, American physician *1938 - Maynard Jackson, first black mayor of Atlanta (d. 2003) *1939 - Pepe Lienhard, Swiss band leader and entertainer *1941 - Jim Trelease, American educator and children's literature author *1942 - Walter Rodney, Guyanese historian and political figure (d. 1980) *1943 - Nils-Aslak Valkeapää, Finnish writer (d. 2001) *1944 - Michael Nyman, British minimalist composer *1948 - David Olney, American musician *1949 - Ric Ocasek, American musician (The Cars) *1950 - Anthony De Longis, American actor * 1950 - Corinne Clery, French actress *1951 - Ron Jaworski, American football player and analyst *1952 - Kim Stanley Robinson, American author *1953 - Bo Diaz, Venezuelan baseball player (d. 1990) * 1953 - Chaka Khan, American singer *1954 - Geno Auriemma, American basketball coach *1955 - Moses Malone, American basketball player * 1955 - Petrea Burchard, American actress *1956 - José Manuel Barroso, Portuguese politician, president of the European Commission *1957 - Amanda Plummer, American actress * 1957 - Robbie James, Welsh footballer (d. 1998) *1958 - El Duce, American singer and drummer (The Mentors) (d. 1997) *1959 - Epic Soundtracks, English musician (Swell Maps, Crime and the City Solution, These Immortal Souls) (d. 1997) *1960 - Nicol Stephen, Deputy First Minister of Scotland *1961 - Helmi Johannes, Indonesian television newscaster *1964 - Hope Davis, American actress * 1964 - John Pinette, American comedian *1965 - Richard Grieco, American actor and singer * 1965 - Marti Pellow, Scottish singer * 1965 - Gary Whitehead, American poet *1967 - David Ford, Canadian kayaker *1968 - Damon Albarn, English musician (Blur and Gorillaz) * 1968 - Mitch Cullin, American novelist * 1968 - Fernando Hierro, Spanish footballer * 1968 - Michael Atherton, English cricketer *1971 - Yasmeen Ghauri, Canadian supermodel * 1971 - Karen McDougal, American model * 1971 - Gail Porter, British television presenter * 1971 - Alexander Selivanov, Russian ice hockey player * 1971 - Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Japanese professional wrestler *1972 - Judith Godrèche, French actress and author *1973 - Jerzy Dudek, Polish footballer * 1973 - Wim Eyckmans, Belgian racing driver * 1973 - Jason Kidd, American basketball player *1975 - Alydar, American racehorse (d. 1990) *1976 - Michelle Monaghan, American actress * 1976 - Keri Russell, American actress * 1976 - Ricardo Zonta, Brazilian racing car driver *1977 - Jean Carlos Gamarra, Peruvian taekwondo practitioner *1978 - Walter Samuel, Argentine footballer * 1978 - Nicholle Tom, American actress *1979 - Mark Buehrle, American baseball player * 1979 - Emraan Hashmi, Indian actor * 1979 - Misty Hyman, American swimmer * 1979 - Donncha O'Callaghan, Irish International rugby player *1980 - Russell Howard, British Comedian *1981 - Luciana Carro, Canadian actress * 1981 - Erin Crocker, American NASCAR driver *1983 - Jerome Thomas, English footballer *1985 - Maurice Jones-Drew, American football player *1990 - Princess Eugenie of York *1999 - Prince Beltran of Bulgaria Deaths *1103 - Eudes I (b. 1058) *1361 - Henry of Grosmont (b. c.1310) *1369 - King Pedro of Castile (b. 1334) *1548 - Itagaki Nobukata, retainer of Takeda Shingen *1555 - Pope Julius III (b. 1487) *1559 - Emperor Gelawdewos of Ethiopia (killed in battle) (b. 1521/1522) *1596 - Henry Unton, English diplomat *1606 - Justus Lipsius, Flemish humanist (b. 1547) *1618 - James Hamilton, Scottish politician *1653 - Johan van Galen, Dutch naval officer (b. 1604) *1680 - Nicolas Fouquet, French statesman (b. 1615) *1742 - Jean-Baptiste Dubos, French writer (b. 1670) *1747 - Claude Alexandre de Bonneval, French soldier (b. 1675) *1748 - Johann Gottfried Walther, German music theorist, organist, and composer (b. 1684) *1754 - Johann Jakob Wettstein, Swiss theologian (b. 1693) *1783 - Charles Caroll, American lawyer and delegate to the Continental Congress (b. 1723) *1801 - Tsar Paul of Russia (b. 1754) *1842 - Stendhal, French writer (b. 1783) *1927 - Paul César Helleu, French artist (b. 1859) *1931 - Bhagat Singh, Rajguru Sukhdev Indian freedom fighters *1935 - Florence Moore, American actress (b. 1886) *1955 - Artur da Silva Bernardes, President of Brazil (b. 1875) *1960 - Franklin Pierce Adams, American newspaper columnist (b. 1881) *1964 - Peter Lorre, Hungarian-born actor (b. 1904) *1965 - Mae Murray, American actress (b. 1889) *1968 - Edwin O'Connor, American novelist and Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (b. 1918) *1970 - Del Lord, Canadian director (b. 1894) *1972 - Cristóbal Balenciaga, Spanish fashion designer (b. 1895) *1979 - Ted Anderson, English footballer (b. 1911) *1982 - Barney Clark, first artificial heart recipient (b. 1921) *1985 - Richard Beeching, chairman of British Railways (b. 1913) * 1985 - Peter Charanis, Greek-American scholar and professor (b. 1908) * 1990 - John Dexter, English stage and film director *1991 - Parkash Singh, Indian soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross (b. 1913) *1992 - Friedrich Hayek, Austrian economist, Nobel laureate (b. 1899) *1994 - Luis Donaldo Colosio, Mexican politician (b. 1950) * 1994 - Giulietta Masina, Italian actress (b. 1921) * 1994 - Donald_Swann, British composer, musician and entertainer (b. 1923) *1995 - Davie Cooper, Scottish footballer (b. 1956) *1998 - Gerald Stano, American serial killer (b. 1951) *1999 - Luis María Argaña, Paraguayan politician (b. ?) *2001 - Rowland Evans, American journalist (b. 1921) *2002 - Eileen Farrell, American soprano (b. 1920) * 2002 - Ben Hollioake, English cricketer (b. 1977) *2003 - Fritz Spiegl, Austrian-born journalist (b. 1926) *2004 - Rupert Hamer, Australian politician (b. 1916) *2006 - David B. Bleak, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1932) * 2006 - Desmond Doss, American soldier and first conscientious objector Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1919) * 2006 - Cindy Walker, American singer, songwriter and dancer (b. 1918) *2007 - Paul J. Cohen, American mathematician, Fields Medal winner (b. 1934) * 2007 - Eric Medlen, American NHRA drag racer (b. 1973) Holidays and observances *Roman Empire - The fifth and final day of Quinquatria, held in honor of Minerva. *Roman Empire - Tubilustrium was held in honor of Mars. *Ancient Latvia - Lieldienas held in honor of Mara and other pagan goddesses. *Pakistan - National Day (Republic Day). *Oshawa, Ontario, Canada - Stephen Colbert Day. *Hungary - Day of Hungarian-Polish Friendship. External links *BBC: On This Day * *On This Day in Canada ---- Category:March